divinebird Member

Try to find someone to exercise with you. I have a friend who is also doing MFP (Tilinka, and she's awesome) and we keep each other motivated. We just set up a standing date to meet at a local bike/walk path every morning for a walk together. I would NEVER do it on my own; having a friend with me makes all the difference.…

I'd like to recommend something that one of my MFP friends just did recently--she asked for a bunch of positive sayings and put them on post-it notes on her mirror. Every time she walks past that mirror, instead of feeling bad about herself, she gets a boost of "You go, girl!" The thread is here:…

Whenever I see pics like these, I seem to say the same thing: WOW! This is such an inspiration. I'm working on losing 100lbs and I can't even tell you how awesome it is to hear (and see!) a new success story every morning. Thank you for posting this, and AWESOME JOB!

Yeah!! I'm so excited that I can garden in front of our condo. I have two heirloom tomatoes, three basil, three romaine, and one each mint, sage, oregano, rosemary, and chives. Plus a pot of chili peppers! Summertime is the BEST with fresh veg!!! (And I was pleasantly surprised at the number of calories it burns, too! How…

I adore big salads and I like to keep them SIMPLE. My usual is this: 1 heart of romaine (I get them 3 in a pack at the store), sliced across the grain 2 green onions/scallions, sliced into little rounds 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp Perfect Pinch Vegetable (a seasoning salt, delicious) a dash…

I think what happens with mine is it hits my stomach and suddenly throws off the rhythm--my stomach protrudes a lot and it's high on my body, and I have virtually no hips. So the rhythm I need to keep it going around my upper body is much slower than what is needed around my hips, and the change happens so quickly I can…

Age 37 Height 5'4" SW: 260 CW: 250 GW: 160 I LOVE finding new people for motivation! Feel free to add me! I also keep up my blog on here so if you are looking for reading material, I am pretty wordy! ;)

I budget calories on a specific snack--I've mentioned them in the past, but I make creamy coffee popsicles that I CRAVE. If I wake up on a hot day, I know I'll probably want one in the evening, so I add it first thing to my diary and all day I know I can look forward to it later, guilt-free. And if for some reason I don't…

I agree with the person who suggested you talk to your bank. They have people who are used to dealing with all kinds of questions, and usually they have a private space for you to talk in (so no fears about embarrassing questions). Write down any particular questions you have and take notes. The banks want you to be…

LOVE it! :D I will have to think of another one for you. :D

Sorry, I thought my diary was open! It is now. :) Generally I eat about 1300-1500 calories, based on an MFP goal of 1240 plus exercise calories. I'm pretty confident that my calorie burn estimations are fairly correct, because I am coming from years of being out of shape and mostly sedentary, so even a walk around the…

You could have a 'tasting party' sometime--you and some friends each bring a different type of milk (or go to the store, pick out a selection, and then divide the cost evenly), then go home and try each. Taste them at room temperature and then again cold. Put out some fruits and healthy crackers for a snack, and write down…

Thanks guys!! My Dr. seems happy with my progress and I think I'm going to keep listening to my body as one poster put it. I REALLY appreciate the ideas about nuts and healthy fats, too--I think I'm going to make some peanut butter this weekend. Yummmmm!

Hahah! I think this is where my philosophy lies. Also, is that you hooping in your pic?? I have a lovely, shiny, bright green hoop and am looking forward to using it. :)

That's a good idea--I could add them to my salads. I worry about going over on my fat grams for the day, but maybe it won't be too bad if I'm going over with good fats, and just keeping an eye on them. I'm still interested to know people's opinions on what to do about those extra calories--do they NEED to be eaten?

This is my favorite thing about MFP--seeing the amazing success stories. I am so, so inspired by you. <3

I always have: Whole romaine hearts Green onions/scallions Plain greek yogurt (usually Chobani) Frozen chicken breasts Meatless breakfast crumbles (husband's favorite) Apples Potatoes Whole wheat wraps Carrots Celery Fresh garlic bulbs Dry Parmesan cheese (not grated) Decaf coffee Heavy cream --I feel like I should explain…

I wonder how it will translate to me. I always think I'm thinner than I actually am. In my mind's eye, I am the same shape I was in High School. Every photo of me is a shock! I'll be interested to see how that translates after more than a decade buying plus sizes.

Proudgamer and I are going to a huge Steampunk festival and I'm making us fabulous clothes to wear there. :) I am already plotting what mine will be. :D

Hi guys! :D *waves at the people below my post*

Fabulous!! I can't wait to hit that point myself--I hope it comes off in the same time frame, too! ;) GO GO GO!! :D

My mom loves Snickers bars. However, she's got a method of eating them that controls how much she eats AND extends one candy bar over weeks or even months. She'd slice one up into 1/2" pieces, then freeze them. Once a week or so, or whenever she needed a little indulgence, she'd grab a piece from the freezer. It is a lot…

What everyone else said--we ALL have bad days (or bad weeks!) and it's not always a perfect path. Try to move away from food guilt, and words like 'failure' and 'bad'. Make a small change and stick to it. Then add another small change and stick to IT. If your daily calorie goal is too strict and you feel like you're being…

My family has been universally supportive--and it made me realize how worried they all were with my weight before now. My parents just told me last night that they'd buy the dress I had listed as my reward for hitting 50lbs lost! My husband is also overweight; he's actually joined me here (he's Proudgamer) and that has…

Good on you! You'll have good days and bad. Tracking everything (EVERYTHING) is a huge step that will help you understand where the problems might be. I know my issues cropped up with bored eating and also...at first, I wasn't entirely honest on my diary. I found myself skimming off an ounce of food here, a cup of…

Aside from preventing bone loss, insulin overproduction, caffeine addiction, tooth decay, and all the other problems associated with it? I know I'm not going to change your mind, but since this IS a thread originally about asking for suggestions about changing a diet that currently isn't working, I stand by what I said.…

I'm actually addressing this comment, as well as the OP's first call for help. I, like you, needed my caffeine fix for years. I literally could not function without it. I'd been a barista for a long time and I also had a bad Coca Cola habit. However, you CAN wean yourself off of caffeine. It took my husband and I about two…

If the coworkers are really bothering you about it, you could also go talk (privately) with your boss or HR. Let them know that it makes you uncomfortable and unwilling to participate at all when you feel bullied by others to eat. It's a kind of peer pressure that often gets overlooked. Let them know that you are working…

Both my husband (Proudgamer here on MFP) and I are gamers. He moreso than me--I prefer to watch someone else play an RPG. I am more casual, though I am using our Wii for exercise. :) Feel free to add us! There's also a couple of gamer message boards on here. Do join them! :D

I'm adding you as a friend! I am good about nudging people when they haven't logged in as well as cheering them on when they do! :) And I'm aiming for 100lbs lost, so I'm with you on this journey! ;)